Two Aarhus swimming clubs lose pool access after denying entry to male staff

Two swimming clubs in Aarhus have been temporarily barred from using municipal pools after refusing entry to male city employees during an announced inspection, DR reports.

The clubs violated Denmark’s gender equality regulations, which require that individuals of the opposite sex must be granted access to facilities not directly used for gender-segregated activities, according to Jesper Kjeldsen, the city’s Social Democrat councillor for Culture and Citizen Services.

“We are simply enforcing Danish law, and it must be followed when using the municipality’s facilities. That goes without saying,” Kjeldsen said. He added that the city had previously attempted dialogue with the clubs before taking action.

A decision on whether the clubs will permanently lose access will be made within the next 14 days. The case stems from a January 1 amendment to the gender equality ordinance, which explicitly states that men and women not participating in a gender-segregated activity must have equal access to unused areas of the facility.

Kjeldsen expressed regret over the situation but emphasised that the law applies equally to all. “Whether your name is Anna or Aisha, the rules are the same. Being part of a community means adhering to the same standards,” he said.

The issue of gender-segregated swimming has been debated in Aarhus for years, including in the city council. Jakob Søgaard Clausen of the Denmark Democrats welcomed the decision, calling the clubs’ practices “completely insane” and “parallel societies in full bloom.”

“As a city council, we must not accept this in any way. Other associations with gender-segregated activities should know we do not tolerate religious special demands,” Clausen said in a statement.